What are our responsibilities as Iranian women living in the diaspora? How can we help the brave Iranian women risking their lives in the movement for women’s rights and freedom? How do public demonstrations, chanting slogans, and sharing photos, and/or videos from Iran contribute to the larger women’s movement?

FOX 5 San Diego Morning News Anchor Shally Zomorodi has been waking up San Diego for more than a decade. A dedicated journalist, Zomorodi launched her news career as an assistant for KTTV FOX 11 in Los Angeles. Quickly advancing into an on-air reporting position in Beaumont, Texas, Zomorodi, with her winning smile and refined reporting skills, woke the Southwest residents of the Lone Star state to breaking local and national news.

Shally’s embracing personality and dedicated reporting returned her to the Southland and family she loves dearly in Orange County. She reported for LA City View in Los Angeles and then became the anchor of DAYBREAK OC, a two-hour live morning show broadcasting from the heart of Orange County for all of Southern California. Versed in international broadcasting as the reporter for Voice of America, and fluent in Farsi, Shally now brings her global skills, diversity, and Southland knowledge to FOX 5. Shally credits her success in broadcasting to pageants. Shally won the title of Mrs. California Globe and was 3rd runner-up to Mrs. US GLOBE. She also held the titles of Miss Orange County Teen USA and Miss Orange County USA. It was during her competition at MISS CALIFORNIA USA that Shally won an award in journalism.... Read More

Dr. Nina Ansary is an award-winning Iranian American author, historian and UN Women Global Champion for Innovation. She is the Director of the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA) Global Women’s Lecture Series and the Director of the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) at the University of Cambridge.

Her books Anonymous Is a Woman: A Global Chronicle of Gender Inequality (Revela Press/2020) and Jewels of Allah: The Untold Story of Women in Iran (Revela Press/2015) received multiple awards, including the 2016 International Book Award in “Women’s Issues” (Jewels of Allah) and the 2021 Benjamin Franklin Book Award in “Interior Design” and “History” (Anonymous Is a Woman).

Nina is the recipient of the 2020 Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award, the 2019 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the 2018 Barnard College, Columbia University Trailblazer Award, and has appeared on CNN International, Fox News, Larry King, the BBC, Sky News and been featured in a variety of publications, including Time, Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, CNN.com, and Teen Vogue.  Read more... 

Training to be a professional athlete is an undertaking that requires extreme discipline, patience, and passion. Training to be a professional athlete as an Iranian woman adds another complex layer to an already rigorous endeavor. The women on this panel overcame a variety of obstacles to reach the world stage in their respective sports, bringing pride to themselves, their country, and the young women who look up to them. Hear their stories of disappointment, joy, and acceptance on their journey to victory.

A journey of wholeness and inner harmony. Collaborative guided meditation and handpan music by Shirin and Sepidrum

Immerse yourself in the frequencies of Shirin's voice, Sepidrum’s handpan playing, and Diamond Alchemy Crystal bowl, for a beautiful soothing journey.

Allow yourself to deeply relax and connect with the wisdom of your heart, through soothing waves of music and spoken words…let sounds carry you into effortless relaxation and bliss.

You may hold a specific intention in mind for your journey or you may just be open to receiving whatever inspiration and divine gifts come.

Shirin began her journey into mindfulness about 12 years ago to help with her own stress and life challenges. As the practice of meditation began to profoundly transform her life, she decided to devote her time to leading groups and individuals in mindfulness practices.

In 2014, Shirin received a Master Certification from Academy of Intuition Medicine, where she completed more than 1000 hours of meditation, and instruction in Energetic Healing techniques and Spiritual Consultation practices.

Shirin holds a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from San Francisco State and a M.S. in Finance/Investments from Golden Gate University. She worked as a Financial Adviser and a Registered Principal for 15 years with a focus on managing assets of small to medium size companies.

Navigating the art of communication in your professional and personal life while recognizing your limiting beliefs. Recognize what gets in the way of you giving voice to your thoughts, suggestions, opinions, requests and demands.

Azita is the founder of the Center for Leadership Excellence and The Center for Youth Leadership. She is a faculty member and Executive Director at the Maxwell leadership Certified Team. She has built and directed the Youth section of the organization in the Francophone Branch, training Francophone leadership coaches globally.

She is a two-time International Best Seller author of two anthologies: Stories of Multicultural Women Authentically Overcoming Challenges, and The Recipes for Your Mind, Body, and Soul.

Azita has occupied several professional positions in the public and private sectors in Canada before her move to the United States, with the most recent ones in the departments of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, formerly (CIDA), Department of Industry Canada, and the Competition Bureau. As a partnership branch officer, Azita has helped many organizations, wishing to secure funding for international development projects, to enhance and comply with their project ideas to increase the likelihood of funding from the Federal Government. Read More...

Born in the US, moved to Iran at age five, lived in Iran up to age 13, and then went to a boarding school in Switzerland to receive her International Baccalaureate from Aiglon College, moved to the US in 1979 to attend university. Roya holds a BA from Macalester College in Political Science and International Affairs

Roya has over 40 years of experience working in Silicon Valley. She has worked for fortune 500 companies as well as building her own startups.

A serial entrepreneur, she is currently on her third startup, as co-founder of Trendage Inc. a Santa Clara based software company developing a personalized styling web and mobile application, as well as her full time job as the Chief Revenue Officer of Z2Data, a fast growing supply chain software company. Read more...

Dr. B. Sarah Haynes is a founder of CoachEra.com, powered by DrHaynesCollective.com To provide coaching as a Service (CaaS) to democratize access to executive coaching for all using a B2B2C model. She represents a unique intersection as a CEO, licensed cross-culturally trained behavioral clinical psychologist (Ph.D.), international tech operator, tenured professor, angel investor and philanthropist, with vast achievement in sectors that span tech, VC, behavioral health, micromobility and more.

She has collaborated with top tech founders, C-Suite executives and celebrities; pitched and raised revenue from billionaires and VIP investors; collaborated with Fortune Top 20 CEOs and world-class athletes; guided investors and stakeholders from strategy to execution; and coached colleagues and clients toward maximizing human potential and organizational development and change management. Read More...

Why is financial literacy important? Because it directly impacts your independence, quality of life and so much more. Learn the basics of personal finance and the tools you need to set yourself up for financial success and beyond.

Jeyran Ghara is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services supporting high-net worth individuals, families and private foundations with their investment strategies. She works very closely with her clients and their professional advisors to help define, plan for and implement an investment strategy that is designed to meet their financial goals and objectives. Jeyran leverages financial planning tools and stress tests various investment strategies to help empower her clients to make educated decisions. She further recognizes the intimate nature of her relationships and the importance of earning and keeping trust. Jeyran came to UBS from Bernstein Wealth Management where for nearly a decade she honed her skills to leverage investment research, management and financial planning to deliver to her clients an integrated approach to wealth management. Prior to Bernstein, Jeyran was a founding partner of a NY based investor relations and communications firm where she spent 15 years advising C-Suite executives of such leading institutions as American Express, SONY, Knowledge Universe, Newcourt Credit Group and the Military Academy at West Point. A graduate of Syracuse University, Jeyran currently resides in New York.

Known as the "The Duchess of Decorum" by her 870,000+ followers, Pattie Ehsaei (@duchessofdecorum TikTok ), has established herself as the expert of “P’s and Q’s.” Pattie’s TikTok teachings on social and workplace etiquette and financial literacy have over 4 MILLION likes—answering questions such as “How do I make and keep a budget?” “What is this little fork for?” “How do I ask for a raise?” “How can I be financially smart in a relationship?” These are the type of questions that Pattie provides real and honest answers to, that keep her fans begging for more. A lawyer by trade and currently a Senior Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions lending for a major national bank, Pattie is the perfect example of “tough but fair" and believes that success comes from information and empowerment. Born in Iran, the Persian beauty moved to Los Angeles as a youth and has spent the last 20 years in a multi-faceted career focused in finance. From relationship management, business development, investment banking, and raising capital from sovereign wealth funds in private equity, Pattie has seen all sides of the industry. Within the past year, she created her TikTok account as a way to provide education, susaadvice, and techniques to help young folks navigate their way through work, finances, social settings and more. Her direct approach peppered with levity and some real takeaway, has made her an instant success! Pattie's account grew to 400,000 followers in less than six months and has become appointment television for her continuous growing audience.

Haleh is a senior wealth advisor and partner at Stearns Financial Group where she leads the firm’s women’s advisory practice. Focusing primarily on issues relevant to boomer women, Haleh is most passionate about women’s financial empowerment and sustainable investing as a tool for creating social change. Haleh is the author of two books: Women on Top: Women, Wealth & Social Change (2020) and Gray Divorce, Silver Linings: A Woman’s Guide to Divorce After 50 (2nd Edition to be released in 2022). Most recently, Haleh was a recipient of ThinkAdvisor’s inaugural Luminaries Award (2021) and in 2020 was named among Investment News’ “Women to Watch”. Haleh speaks frequently at local and national events and serves as a media resource on a wide range of financial topics.

This panel will address the significance and history of social movements, the implications, and future of the recent Roe v. Wade decision, and the power of standing up and taking action for your beliefs. The panel consists of women who have dedicated their lives to social change, run for office, or were appointed to influential positions because of their strong stances on social issues.

Leyla Salmassi is a dedicated higher education and nonprofit professional with a social justice lens & commitment to building accessible, inclusive, and equitable communities. She is passionate about developing the next generation of leaders and creating an inclusive future for all identities.

As an Iranian American woman, she is thrilled to be making a full circle to serve underrepresented immigrant communities. She has served as the President of the UW Professional Staff Organization, and is currently a board member at WithinReach and Peyvand. Leyla is an art enthusiast, social justice warrior, chef extraordinaire, a mother of two extraordinary kids, and two very spoiled cats!

Layla Sharaf is an effective leader in the public sector world, with experience in the federal government, technology, and non-profit space. She is currently the director of the Civic Leadership Program, a Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian American (PAAIA) initiative, that empowers young Iranian Americans to become civic leaders through education, funding, training, and mentorship opportunities. Her passion for mission-oriented work has taken her to the White House, where she helped manage the executive branch’s technology foundation, to a technology start-up, where she supported government clients’ missions. These exciting and fast-paced environments, combined with her BA in international Relations from Syracuse University, have given her the skills to address a variety of challenges. Layla is proud that her current mission through the Civic Leadership Program is to support the young Iranian American community!

Darya Farivar (she/they) is the Public Policy Director at Disability Rights Washington, a private, non-profit organization that protects the rights of people with disabilities statewide. As a lobbyist, she spends her time working directly with the state legislature on disability and civil rights issues. Her primary focus is the intersection of behavioral health, housing, homelessness, and the criminal legal system. She has years of experience working with different levels of government on different areas of policy through her time as Co-Chair of the Seattle Women’s Commission and Policy Chair of the Washington State Special Education Advisory Council. Darya currently serves as a Founding Board Member of the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability and Board Member of Peyvand supporting young Iranians through the Youth Empowerment Program. Darya believes we need elected officials who reflect the lived experiences of our communities and bring those who are most impacted to the decision-making table. This is why she is running for the Washington State House of Representatives in the 46th Legislative District for Position 2. Darya would be proud to serve the Iranian community as the first-ever Middle Eastern Woman elected to the state legislature.

Sahar Fathi is the Policy Director for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. Previously, she served as a Senior Legislative Analyst on Central Staff at King County, the Division Director for External Relations and the Leadership Development Division Director at the Department of Neighborhoods (DON) at the City of Seattle. Prior to that she served as the Policy, Strategy, and Programs Lead for the Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, as a legislative aide to Seattle Councilmember Mike O'Brien, and as a legal clerk for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Sahar graduated from the University of Washington Law School and is a member of the New York bar. She earned a Masters in International Studies from the University of Washington, and graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California with a dual Bachelor of Arts in French and International Relations. Sahar also attended the Sorbonne Université and received a diploma in International and European Law from the Université Jean-Moulin in 2008. Read more...

Join this session to help you develop your career path to prepare you for a for-profit Board of Director position, and why it’s important for more women to be in Board Rooms.

Currently a Co-Founder and General Partner of Emmeline Ventures, Azin has been charting her own professional path across the US and Europe for the past 30+ years. As an executive and board-level advisor, she draws on out-of-the-box thinking paired with compassion, bravery, and candor. Azin is an enthusiastic and intuitive educator, often finding herself in intimate conversations with strangers or close peers, uncovering their full potential and accelerating their growth through listening, empathy and curiosity. Having lived various lives herself, Azin knows that the pathways to fulfillment and purposeful impact are infinite. She is dedicated to providing women the knowledge to be financially sovereign.

Dr. Maky Zanganeh is a recognized leader in the healthcare industry. Dr. Zanganeh is currently the Chief Operating Officer, and member of the board at Summit Therapeutics, a company committed to the betterment of overall human health.

One of her greatest leadership accomplishments occurred when Dr. Zanganeh, as Chief Operating Officer at Pharmacyclics, led a struggling biotech company to a multimillion-dollar collaboration and license deal for ibrutinib with Johnson & Johnson in 2011 and the subsequent sale of the company for $21 billion for 50% ownership of ibrutnib in 2015 to AbbVie Inc. which was the second largest biopharma sale ever in the industry at that time. The deal with Johnson & Johnson received the award of the “Best Biotech Transaction” in 2011. Under her leadership in 2015, Pharmacyclics was also awarded the prestigious Prix Galien for “Best Pharmaceutical Agent”. This award is the biomedical industry’s highest accolade and recognizes outstanding achievements in the development of new therapies. Read more...

An overview of how to finance your ideas and invest in start-up companies. This session is designed to give you an overview of the ins and outs of the angel investing and venture capital spaces and of the start-up funding process

Currently a Co-Founder and General Partner of Emmeline Ventures, Azin has been charting her own professional path across the US and Europe for the past 30+ years. As an executive and board-level advisor, she draws on out-of-the-box thinking paired with compassion, bravery, and candor. Azin is an enthusiastic and intuitive educator, often finding herself in intimate conversations with strangers or close peers, uncovering their full potential and accelerating their growth through listening, empathy and curiosity. Having lived various lives herself, Azin knows that the pathways to fulfillment and purposeful impact are infinite. She is dedicated to providing women the knowledge to be financially sovereign.

Dr. Maky Zanganeh is a recognized leader in the healthcare industry. Dr. Zanganeh is currently the Chief Operating Officer, and member of the board at Summit Therapeutics, a company committed to the betterment of overall human health.

One of her greatest leadership accomplishments occurred when Dr. Zanganeh, as Chief Operating Officer at Pharmacyclics, led a struggling biotech company to a multimillion-dollar collaboration and license deal for ibrutinib with Johnson & Johnson in 2011 and the subsequent sale of the company for $21 billion for 50% ownership of ibrutnib in 2015 to AbbVie Inc. which was the second largest biopharma sale ever in the industry at that time. The deal with Johnson & Johnson received the award of the “Best Biotech Transaction” in 2011. Under her leadership in 2015, Pharmacyclics was also awarded the prestigious Prix Galien for “Best Pharmaceutical Agent”. This award is the biomedical industry’s highest accolade and recognizes outstanding achievements in the development of new therapies. Read more...

Join this session to learn about balancing your career, marriage, kids, elderly parents, mental and physical health, finances, and more. How do you balance all of these parts of your life? And can you really have it all?

Nazli Nadem is the co-founder and former CEO of HopHR, a tech talent engagement and recruitment company that focuses exclusively on the placement of Data scientists and Machine Learning engineers globally. Nazli grew up in a small, traditional town called Maragheh. Located in an unspoiled natural and mystical region of Iran, she developed a passion for personal and spiritual growth early in her life, influenced by her environment as well as numerous supportive and knowledgeable teachers. Alongside her husband and older son Ryan, Nazli came to the U.S. in 2012 at the age of 27 to pursue a master’s degree in Human Resources, which she received from Golden Gate University. Read more...

Throughout her 25+-year career, Tracey G. Sameyah has become known as a founder whisperer, delivering epic wins for brands such as Lancer, Murad, and Dermalogica.

Tracey is an unapologetic revolutionary who propels the growth engine by unleashing innovative solutions worthy of a cult following and celebrity endorsements while staying true to the founder’s vision and the brand’s essence.

Recognized for her egoless demeanor, Tracey is a natural at cutting through politics and aligning teams behind winning strategies. An expert dealmaker, she unlocks expansion, sponsorship, licensing, exit, and M&A opportunities by steering business development efforts at the highest levels of business and society. Read More...

Overcoming obstacles and adversity is what makes us resilient and strong. Soheila and Maryam are two examples of inspiring women who turned their lives around after life-altering events. Their stories are not only inspiring but offer us invaluable lessons in personal growth.

Dr. Maryam Dalili has a Doctorate degree in psychology with an emphasis in Marriage Family Therapy. She started her private practice about 14 years ago focused on treating families, couples and individuals who struggled with their relationships. Seven years ago, she discovered her passion in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and became an advanced trainer in EFT working primarily with couples and families. Dr. Dalili is also the founder of the Hand in Hand Counseling Center through which she runs “Hold Me Tight” group sessions for couples and support groups for adults.

Dr. Dalili is a board member of the EFT psychology group in LA. She has held many educational sessions on various TV and radio programs.

“Life is like a rollercoaster!” How many times have we lived through this quote? We have all experienced ups and downs in our lives and face obstacles that, at the time, seemed impossible to overcome. My life story is an example of how even the most unthinkable challenges can be defeated with resilience.

I grew up in Iran where I was expected to be an obedient daughter, then a good wife for my husband, and to be a mom, serving my husband and my children.

When I finally decided it was time for me to be ME, find my own voice, live for my own beliefs, and ensure a better life for my children- I was left a single mom, alone in a foreign country. Read More...

Learn about the journeys of young women who followed their passions. You’ll hear more about the careers of Yasmin, Shaghayegh, and Nina - a reporter, artist, and an app developer - who went off the beaten path to find out what makes them happy.

.

Nasim Bolandparvaz has built her career in tech sales, and is currently a Global Renewal Sales Manager at Samsara. After graduating UCI with a political science degree, Nasim joined Yelp as an account executive. During her time at Yelp she moved into the management role, relocated from HQ in SF to Washington DC in order to help build Yelp’s fifth office, scaling from 30 to 300 individuals. After her time at Yelp, she joined Samsara as a manager in the account development department. As the company began to grow, Nasim was moved to start building the Global Renewals team, building the company’s recurring revenue model through a global pandemic and the company’s transition to being a publicly traded company. Outside of work, Nasim is a yoga instructor who enjoys an active life, picking up golfing and surfing as COVID hobbies, and always on the lookout for fun new hiking trails!

Shaghayegh Cyrous is an Iranian American interdisciplinary artist based in California. Her works have dealt with cross-culture communication, connection, and the compression of time and space caused by political and cultural dynamics. Cyrous earned a Master of Fine Arts in Social Practice at California College of the Arts and studied visual arts in science and culture at the University of Tehran. She is the founder of the Zamin Project, which aims to connect the Southwest Asian / North African arts community in the Bay Area and beyond. As a Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) Fellow, Cyrous participated in Creative Dissent led by artist and activist Tania Bruguera, and she contributed to Susan Lacey’s “We Are Here” exhibition. Cyrous has also worked with Jim Campbell as a researcher and location scouting on SalesForce Tower, Day for Night light canvas, and light installation in 2017-18. Cyrous was a Gold Art Prize nominee and has exhibited and performed internationally at venues such as Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, British Museum in London, Anchorage Museum in Alaska, Jane Addams Hull House in Chicago, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, Asian Arts Museum, and Salesforce Tower in San Francisco California.
https://www.shcyrous.com

Nina Gabbay is a California native who earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from UC Berkeley. Having had first-hand exposure to residential and commercial real estate on both sides of her family, the path of Nina’s long-term career has been substantially paved by real estate, serving as the core focus of her professional endeavors. She joined Aaron Kirman Group, a part of the Compass family, in 2020, and continues to develop her skills as a real-estate agent - applying her extensive knowledge of the luxury Los Angeles Market daily.

In 2021, Nina and her colleague Talar Ohanian co-founded and launched their startup RE|STRUCTURED News, a bi-weekly real estate newsletter that informs readers on current real estate news covering different sectors - all in less than five minutes. Their newsletter aims to restructure the way people interact with the real estate industry by providing information that is short-form, aggregated, and easily digestible.

In addition to her deep interest in real estate, Nina continues to cultivate her connection to her culture by studying the Persian language and art. She minored in Iranian Studies at UC Berkeley and feels so honored to have discovered an intersection that reflects her cultural identity as well as her professional pursuits. Read more...